Polly James, 1973

File — Box: 2, Folder: 1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Polly James was born August 3, 1919 just north of Texarkana, Texas. She had two brothers, six sisters, and attended Burns High School. In the fall of 1937 she attended Prairie View St. College for one semester before dropping out to get married. Her husband went away to join the army for two years and eight months. They moved to Salt Lake City in the October of 1946. At the time, her husband was employed at ANSR, and they had five children: two boys and three girls. When they moved to Salt Lake City, they lived in a two-room attic that did not have running water. Mrs. James remembers a huge variety of excuses including clauses in property ownership that didn’t allow for sale or rental to African American. She and her husband ended up renting a two-room house where they were the only house on the block. They lived in the house for fourteen years and often had trouble because the snowplow would not plow their street because theirs was the only house. Her husband eventually became a pipe fitter, a step up from his previous position. He received free education from Kennecott, a company Mrs. James claims did not discriminate in their hiring practices. Mrs. James states that her kids experienced discrimination in their education. Because summer jobs were not available to African American teenagers at the time, Mrs. James and her husband started their own janitorial service and made a point of employing younger kids, many of them minorities. At the time, she says that the only African Americans working in retail stores were doing maid work, that it was difficult to get a job, and that employees often faced suspicion and distrust from their employers. She claims that it was difficult to find places to go for recreation as African Americans were not allowed in many restaurants and were limited to the upper balconies of theaters.

Mrs. James feels that church is an important part of family life. She was brought up as a Southern Baptist and did not believe in many of the tenants of the LDS Church although she believes that as long as anyone believes in God, they are on the same road, just not the same path. Although she was not a Latter Day Saint, she enrolled her children in LDS primary in order to give them interaction with other children in the neighborhood. She says that the other children were nice to her children when they were in church, but unfriendly out of the church setting.

For recreation in Utah, many people went to parks. Mrs. James didn’t like parks however; she encountered discrimination and people calling her names when she went, something that didn’t happen in the South. This angers her because she was taught that everyone is equal in God’s eyes. She was a member of the NAACP, but notes that though they were a good organization they weren’t able to make much progress in Utah because their leaders were not heard. In her opinion, lack of capital has held back African American businesses because banks are unwilling to give business loans. She states that she herself tried to get a business loan but was repeatedly turned down. At the time of the interview, she owned an antique business. She mentioned that the Salt Lake City Tribune had interviewed her about her business. If she got the capital, she would like to be able to upholster, paint, and restore the furniture she sells. She believes that being in this business is one of the fastest ways to become a millionaire.

When asked her opinions about young African Americans, she states that she believes they have just as much potential and intelligence as White people, but believes that since they can’t get backing for businesses or to do what they really want out of college, they are limited. She says that she herself experienced an emphasis on African American history in her own education, and that she wishes young people at the time of the interview experienced the same. She said she enjoyed school. It was segregated, but she believes that segregation allowed for her to learn a lot about African American history. Her grandmother was enslaved. Mrs. James believes that enslaved persons were incredibly brave, seeking education even when they were punished for it. She had heard of the KKK being in Utah in the early fifties, and that there was an instance of a burning cross when African Americans wanted to buy a place in a predominantly White neighborhood. She has never been on welfare, and thinks that it is a danger because it makes people dependent. Growing up, her father worked on the railroad for seven years, than purchased a farm, which she cites as instilling a respect for independence in her. Her mother was a seamstress. During the Depression years, her family didn’t suffer. Although she didn’t like farm work, she says that at the time it wasn’t acceptable to question your parents. To young African Americans, she suggests that they apply themselves and take care of themselves rather than asking for help. She says also that they should go into a profession with the goal to help all people, regardless of race. Audio CD A0038_B-29_01.

Dates

1973

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